The Rockets were first established as the San Diego Rockets in 1967. In 1971, the team moved to Houston and became the Houston Rockets. The team didn’t post a winning record until 1977, when the team obtained all-star center Moses Malone. Malone thrilled Houston Rockets Ticket Holders with his skill on the court and went on to lead Houston to the Western Conference Finals in his first year with the team, then to the NBA Finals in 1981, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics.

In 1984, the Rockets drafted 7-foot tall center Hakeem Olajuwon, who would be paired with over 7-foot tall Ralph Sampson on the court. Nicknamed the “Twin Towers,” they led the team to the 1986 NBA Finals where they were defeated again by the Boston Celtics.

Rudy Tomjanovich took over as head coach in the early 1990s and Houston Rockets Ticket Holders would finally see their team capture an NBA Championship in 1994 and again in 1995. Houston, which was seeded sixth in the Western Conference during the 1995 playoffs, became the lowest-seeded team in NBA history to win the title.

The Rockets acquired all-star Charles Barkley in 1996, hoping to build on their momentum, but it wasn’t enough to propel Houston to another championship. In the early 2000s the team was led by Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, but both players struggled with injuries and the team turned in less-than-stellar seasons. After Yao’s early retirement in 2011, the Rockets entered a period of rebuilding. The acquisition of franchise player James Harden in 2012 has launched the Houston Rockets back into championship contention with division wins in 2015 and 2018.

The Houston Rockets play their home games at the Toyota Center. Fans of the Rockets can get tickets to all home games at Golden Tickets.